A Rai Kinmichi Katana (伊賀守来金道)

The Mishina school is one of the most distinguished swordmaking lineages of the Shintô period, and the title of Nihon Kaji Sôshô – Master of Japanese Swordsmiths – was awarded to the Shodai Kinmichi by Tokugawa Ieyasu after Kinmichi supplied one thousand tachi for the Battle of Sekigahara. That honorary title passed down through eleven generations and is recorded on this very nakago. This katana was made by the 11th and final generation, Iga no Kami Rai Kinmichi, in June 1865 – just months before the Edo period came to an end.

The blade is an impressive piece of craftsmanship from this prestigious Yamashiro school. A fine ko-itame and mokume hada covers the surface with quiet elegance. The gunome-midare hamon is bright and active, with long ashi extending to the cutting edge and some chôji (clove blossom) forms working through the undulation – the Tanobe sayagaki specifically notes gunome, ko-notare and chôji elements. A bright, consistent nioguchi runs the full length, a sure sign of a well-made sword. The nakago is ubu, original and unaltered, bearing the full six-character signature on the omote and the Nihon Kaji Sôshô title on the ura, with the date on the back: Keiô gan-nen rokugatsu bi (June 1865).

The original Edo period koshirae is a superb complement to the blade. The saya is lacquered in striped glossy black (shibuichi migaki-ji kamon no zu kaigu kuro-ro-fuemaki-nuri) with a matching set of polished shibuichi soroi kanagu bearing family crests – authenticated by NTHK-NPO Kanteisho. The tsuba is a spectacular Kyo-kenjo presentation piece with gold nunome-zogan paulownia and courtly garden scenes, also NTHK-NPO certified. The menuki carry protective shisa lions. Authenticated by sayagaki from Tanobe Michihiro written in March 2019.